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THIS WEEK: The New Mexico State baseball team returns home for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series against UT-Arlington, April 26-28. Friday and Saturday’s games start at 6:05 p.m. (MT) at Presley Askew Field. The series finale begins at 1:05 p.m. (MT) on Sunday.

MEDIA COVERAGE: New Mexico State baseball fans will have 10 more opportunities to follow the Aggies on the radio on KSNM AM 570 in Las Cruces, N.M.

Fans can listen Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, on KSNM AM 570, while Friday’s game is televised as part of the Aggie Vision productions. For a complete listing of airtimes in your area for games televised by Aggie Vision, go online to www.AggieVision.tv or call your cable or satellite provider.

Live stats are available all season long by going to www.NMStateSports .com and clicking on the live events tab. Live stats are free of charge all season.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Fans can keep up with score updates and other information by logging on to Twitter @NMStateAggies. Fans can find out about promotions and everything else Aggie by going on Facebook and searching for NMSU Athletics as well as The Aggie Student-Athlete.

PROMOTIONS: Friday night is “First Responders Night” with the Aggie Athletic Department honoring all members of a first-response team at the game. Kids will also have a chance to run the bases immediately following Friday’s game. Saturday night is “Military Appreciation Night,” with all members of the military able to enter the game free of charge. There is also a free pre-game kids clinic and a postgame autograph session that day. Sunday is “Teacher Appreciation Day” and 50-cent hotdogs.

Aggie fans have plenty of chances for giveaways during Aggie home games. Fans have a chance to win a free pizza from Lorenzo’s during the “Fantastic Fan of the Game.’ Fans can also win a gift certificate for free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings. NM State baseball t-shirts are thrown into the crowd after an Aggie hits a home run and if the Aggies tally 10 runs or more Lorenzo’s will give fans 50% off any dine-in pizza.

ABOUT THE AGGIES: The Aggies head into this weekend’s games sitting in a tie for the fourth spot of the league standings. NM State is 23-19 overall and 8-7 in WAC play. The team dropped a series to Texas State on opening weekend of league play, then traveled to CSU Bakersfield and won one of three games there. The Aggies bounced back and took the series from Dallas Baptist, who was picked to win the WAC in the preseason coaches’ poll, but fell in two of the three games versus Sacramento State. Last weekend the Aggies swept the series against Louisiana Tech to move up in the WAC standings.

NM State is hitting .290 as a team with four Aggies (who average at least 2.5 at-bats/game) hitting .300 or better. Junior Tanner Rust leads the team with a .408 batting average while senior Bobby Lecount isn’t far behind posting a .341 average on the year. Lecount, although, has a team-high 46 RBIs on the year.

The Aggie pitching staff heads into the weekend with a 5.32 ERA. Senior Adam Mott has worked more innings than any other Aggie pitcher working 68.2 innings this year. He also has a team-high 64 strikeouts this year. Senior lefty Ryan Beck has 59 K’s in 48.1 innings of work and is posting 10.99 strikeouts per nine innings, which leads the WAC.

The Aggies are 16-7 when playing at home and are hitting .336 on Presley Askew Field.

There are five players (who average at least 2.5 at-bats/game) batting over .300 at home and the Aggies have hit 29 of their 40 home runs in Las Cruces. Rust leads NM State with a .427 batting average at home, with Lecount brining 41 runners in to score. NM State has a 5.94 ERA and has tallied 221 strikeouts in home games. Evan Mott leads the Aggies with a 3.81 ERA, while Beck leads with 38 K’s at Presley Askew.

NM State is batting well in night games at .308 and two players are batting over .400. Kyle Phillips leads the Aggies with a .438 batting average in night games, followed closely by Rust (.418). The Aggies have hit 17 home runs and have a 6.29 ERA during night games, with Adam Mott posting a 4.99 ERA so far this season. In the last 15 games, NM State has a .297 batting average and a 5.76 ERA. Rust has hit well (.500) and Adam Mott has maintained a 3.43 ERA.

Rust leads the Aggies with a 12 game hitting streak and also leads with 19 multiple hit games. Lecount has 13 multiple RBI games, leading NM State.

THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT: The Aggies plays UT-Arlington at home in a three-game series April 26-28. The Mavericks are 21-19 overall and 10-5 in conference, placing them second in the league standings.

NM State is 1-2 all-time versus UT-Arlington with the first meeting in 1991. The last meeting came 2007 when the Aggies fell to the Mavericks 9-8.

Matt Shortall leads the Mavericks offensively with a .373 batting average and 39 RBI. Brad Vachon leads the pitching staff with a 2.91 ERA, a 4-3 record and 47 strikeouts in 68.0 innings.

MARCH 3, 2007 vs. UT-ARLINGTON (GAME RECAP): Arlington, Texas-Sophomore Richard Stout went 3-of-4 and stole two bases, but the Aggies dropped a heartbreaker 9-8 to the University of Texas-Arlington at Clay Gould Park in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, March 03.

Stout (Boise, Idaho) hit a single through the right side that scored junior Kyle McFadden (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) who got on with a walk to tie the game at five a piece in the seventh inning.

The Aggies and the Mavericks exchanged the lead five times with UTA getting the better end of the exchange. NMSU scored eight runs on 12 hits giving up four errors, while UTA came up with nine runs on the 12 hits with two errors.

The Mavericks got on the board in the first inning, but NMSU would answer right back as junior Marcus Quade (Littleton, Colo.) hit a two-run shot over the left field wall for his second bomb of the season.

UTA tied the game at two a piece in the bottom of the second. They would put up three more runs in the fourth to take the score to 5-2.

In the fifth inning the Aggies scored two runs that started with a single from Quade, who advanced to second on a passed ball. McFadden would then come up with his sixth RBI of the season as he hit a single to left field. Stout was the one to bring in McFadden for the second run of the inning.

After Stout tied the game up in the seventh, the Aggies scored two more runs, one of them off a wild pitch by the UTA pitcher, as Stout hustled and dove past the catcher for a run. Freshman designated hitter Leo Aguirre (Austin, Texas) brought in the other run in the inning.

NMSU was up 8-5, but couldn’t hold off the Mavericks as they scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth off three hits, two runs and three walks.

LOOKING BACK: NM State fell 6-1 in the midweek game to Texas Tech on a cold night in Lubbock, Texas, Tuesday, April 23. The Aggies scored one run on six hits and committed two errors, while TTU posted six runs on 10 hits while posting one error. Junior Christopher Bradley was given the loss after he worked 5.1 innings, striking out seven batters. Lecount scored in the bottom of the sixth, but the team hit into three double plays in consecutive innings (fifth through the seventh). An error in the bottom of the eighth proved to be costly as two Texas Tech runs crossed the plate, solidifying the Red Raider lead.

The Aggies swept Louisiana Tech in the conference series (10-4, 6-4, 5-1) and in a single non-conference game (4-1) April 19-21, in Ruston Louisiana.

NM State scored six runs in the ninth inning of the first game to defeat Louisiana Tech 10-4, Friday, April 19. The Aggie offense produced 10 runs on 14 hits including an RBI triple from junior Michael Medina, an RBI single from Tanner Rust and a three-run home run from senior Parker Hipp in the top of the ninth. The Aggies’s defense posted three double plays on the evening and just one error while starting pitcher Adam Mott got the win working seven innings and striking out seven batters.

The Aggies defeated Louisiana Tech 6-4, Saturday, April 20, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Tanner Rust and an RBI double from senior Bobby Lecount. Senior Parker Hipp hammered a three-run home run in the top of the third to help NM State regain the lead. Starting pitcher Casey Collins worked 4.1 innings while striking out two batters and allowing four runs, just one of them earned. Evan Mott jumped on the mound in the eighth, finishing off the game for the Aggies and tallying his second save of the year.

NM State beat Louisiana Tech 5-1 in game one of a doubleheader and the finale of the conference series, Sunday, April 21. NM State scored its five runs on nine hits as the Aggie defense played clean baseball without committing an error. Starting pitcher Ryan Beck earned the win after he worked 6.0 innings and allowed just one run. Phillips scored when junior Michael Medina tallied an RBI on a single up the middle in the top of the second inning. Two of the three runs came via a fielding error by the La. Tech shortstop that allowed Rust and senior Parker Hipp to score.

The Aggies defeated Louisiana Tech after winning 4-1 in a non-conference game, Sunday, April 21. Freshman Kevin Carswell got the win in the seven-inning non-conference affair, working 6.2 innings and is now 1-0 on the year. Freshman Kevin Piersol was given the save as he entered the game with bases loaded with the tying run on first and got the out on a groundout to the Aggie shortstop. The Aggies scored three runs in the top of the first with RBIs from Parker Hipp, Bobby Lecount and Taylor Noyer.

AGGIES IN THE WAC: NM State holds several top 10 spots in the WAC. The Aggies lead in runs scored, walks, RBI, on base percentage and is second in stolen bases and home runs. Aggies catcher Tanner Rust maintains the top position in the categories of batting average (.408), on base percentage (.500), runs scored (46), and hits (64), while Bobby Lecount leads the WAC with 46 RBI and seven sacrifice flies. Lecount and Medina hold the second and third spots, respectively, behind Rust in on base percentage in the league.

Michael Medina leads the conference with 34 walks, followed by Parker Hipp and Lecount tied for third (30). Quinnton Mack is tied for second with 11 stolen bases. Hipp and Lecount are tied for third Iin home runs with eight apiece, while Rust and Kyle Phillips are tied for third in doubles with 15.

Aggie pitchers have maintained their number one spot in strikeouts with a total of 349 on the season. They are tied in the second positions for batters struck out looking (89) and runners picked off (14). Runners are having a hard time stealing bases with eight runners picked off by Adam Mott who holds that number two position as well as in batters struck out with a total of 64 this season.

In WAC play only, Lecount leads the WAC in walks with a total of 13 for the season while Rust leads with a 4.21 batting average. Adam Mott also leads in batters struck out in conference play with 34.

AGGIES AT HOME:The Aggies are 16-7 at home this season, batting .336 while holding their opponents at a .303 batting average. Five players on NM State’s offense, are hitting over .300 at home and have hit 29 home runs. The pitching staff has a 5.94 ERA and has tallied 221 strikeouts playing at Presley Askew Field.

Junior catcher Tanner Rust leads the Aggies offensively with a .427 batting average and 32 runs, while senior Bobby Lecount has tallied 41 RBI. In the bullpen, Evan Mott has a 3.81 ERA in 26 innings and Adam Mott has a 3-0 record at home.

AGGIES ON TELEVISION: NM State is 2-3 in televised games, but 2-1 at home. The Aggies are batting .252 on television and the pitching staff averages a 6.91 ERA. The first two games of the season were broadcast by Oklahoma (regional television), while Aggie Vision aired the other three games. NM State defeated New Mexico, 10-5, and Dallas Baptist, 7-5 on television in April at home.

Junior Tanner Rust is batting .471 in televised games with a .824 slugging percentage. Pitcher Casey Collins has the most appearances (4) and innings pitched (19.1) on television for the Aggies, while Adam Mott holds a 2.16 ERA in front of the camera.

SCORING RUNS: The Aggies have scored 296 runs so far this season with 79 of those runs coming in a four-game series with Alabama A&M. NM State is first in the WAC in runs while it is No. 13 nationally. The Aggies are also first in the WAC in RBI (266).

The Aggies are averaging 7.2 runs per came which is 18th nationally. NM State is No. 6 nationally in home runs. North Carolina leads in runs (366) and Mercer leads in home runs (45). NM State is second in the WAC in home runs with 40.

The NM State 30-3 win over Alabama A&M on March 17 is the second largest margin of victory (+27) by any team in the country this year (Central Arkansas defeated Grambling 30-0). The 30 runs are tied for the most scored by a team this year with two other teams. Eastern Kentucky score 30 runs twice and Central Arkansas has done it once.

The NM State school record for runs in a game is 37. The Aggies defeated Northern Iowa 37-11, March 4, 2006 at Presley Askew Field. The Aggies did not score 30 runs in a game during the 2011 or 2012 season but did it twice in 2010.

TANNER RUST NAMED WAC HITTER OF THE WEEK: The Western Athletic Conference announced on Monday, April 22 that junior Tanner Rust has been named the Western Athletic Conference hitter of the week for his play in five games during the week of April 15-21. This is his second hitter of the week honor this season and the third of his career.

Rust led the Aggies to a 4-1 record last week that included a four-game sweep over WAC foe Louisiana Tech on the road. Rust hit .632 (12-for-19). He tallied two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, a triple and scored eight runs. He slugged 1.211 and had an on-base percentage of .652 on the week.

Rust now has a WAC-high 63 hits on the year and a WAC-high 46 runs scored this season. Rust started the week by going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI against in-state rival New Mexico. Rust opened the WAC series at Louisiana Tech going 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, a walk and a double as the Aggies won 10-4. He went 1-for-1 in a 6-4 win over the Bulldogs on Saturday but also marked a run and two RBI. The Aggies swept the league series with La. Tech as they won 5-1 with Rust going 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. He finished the week going 2-for-4 with a run in a non-conference game on Sunday as the Aggies defeated LA Tech 4-1. Rust is currently on an eight-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 17 straight games. Rust did not commit a single error as the Aggie catcher last week.

BOBBY LECOUNT NAMED WAC HITTER OF THE WEEK: Lecount was named the Western Athletic Conference hitter of the week for the week of April 1-7.

Lecount led the Aggies to three wins last week including a 10-5 win over in-state rival New Mexico and two wins over Dallas Baptist. Lecount hit .462 (6-for-13). He tallied six walks, nine RBI, two home runs, a double, a triple and scored six runs. His extra base hits equated to a 1.154 slugging percentage on the week, while his six walks helped him tally a .650 on-base percentage for the four games. Lecount reached safely at least once in every game last week and extended his hitting streak to five games.

He tallied a solo home run against UNM in a midweek game, before he opened the WAC series against DBU going 2-for-3 with a season-high five RBIs in a 16-5 seven-inning win. He tallied his second consecutive 2-for-3 day against the Patriots as he led NM State to a 7-5 victory in game two to clinch the series. That day he also had a double, a walk and a run scored. He finished the week going 1-for-2 with three walks as the Aggies fell short on a comeback attempt losing 12-10 in 10 innings.

LECOUNT EARNS ANOTHER COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS HONOR: Bobby Lecount was honored once again by CollegeSportMadness.com by being named WAC Player of the Week after posting stellar numbers in four games during the week of April 1-7. Lecount went 6-of-13 (.462) with a slugging percentage over 1.000. His first CollegeSportsMadness.com player of the week honor came on March 18 after his play during the week of March 11-17.

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: CollgeBaseballInsider.com named Bobby Lecount the West Region Player of the week for his play during the week of April 1-7. Lecount went 6 for 13 (.462) with two homers, six runs and nine RBI in four games. He had one double, one triple and six walks in the 3-1 week. Lecount recorded a slugging percentage of 1.154 and on-base percentage of .650. He went 2-for-3 with a season-high five RBI in the series opener against Dallas Baptist.

COLLEGE SPORTS MADDNESS HONORS BOBBY LECOUNT: Senior infielder Bobby Lecount earned WAC player of the week from CollegeSportsMadness.com as he helped the Aggies to a 4-2 record during the week of March 11-17. He posted a .412 batting average (7-of-17) and a .542 on-base percentage with four walks, while being hit by a pitch twice. Lecount tallied a team-high 10 RBI’s on the week while he hammered two homeruns and finished the week with a .824 slugging percentage. Lecount scored one of the Aggies’ two runs in a 3-2 loss to No. 17 Oklahoma as he got on base three times; twice by walks and once from being hit by a pitch. He posted a three-run homer in a 20-6 win over Alabama A&M to open the four-game series and also scored twice. In game one of the doubleheader on Saturday, Lecount went 2-of-4 with four RBI.

TANNER RUST NAMED WAC HITTER OF THE WEEK: Rust was named the WAC Baseball Hitter of the Week, for the week of March 4-10. Rust helped the Aggies to a 4-0 record during that week with a four-game series sweep over LaSalle. Rust hit .600 (9-for-15) without a single strikeout over the four games. He also tallied two walks, four RBI, scored eight runs and was 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts.

Rust opened the series with the Explorers going 3-for-4 with two RBI and scored a season-high three runs as the Aggies won 18-8 in eight innings. He went 2-for-3 in game one of a double-header on Saturday with one RBI and two runs scored with NM State winning 8-2. Rust followed up hitting a double in game two of the double-header as the Aggies won 4-2 in seven innings. In the series finale, Rust was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored as the Aggies came-from-behind to win 12-11 in 10 innings. Rust tallied a double each day of the series.

WAC PRESEASON POLL: New Mexico State baseball was selected to finish third in the 2013 Western Athletic Conference regular season, in the coaches’ preseason poll behind Dallas Baptist and Texas State, the WAC announced.

The Aggies received 60 points in the voting that was done by the 10 WAC baseball coaches after a 35-24 season (11-7 WAC), which resulted in the 2012 WAC regular season co-champion title and an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Dallas Baptist, who joined the WAC this year, was picked to win the league with 80 points and eight first place votes after a 41-19 season. Surpassing the Aggies for the second spot is Texas State who received 65 points and one first place vote.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Senior short stop Parker Hipp of the New Mexico State baseball team was recently named to the 2013 Louisville Slugger Pre-Season All-American baseball team, selected by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Hipp was a third team selection after hitting .349 with 51 runs scored and 49 RBI last year. He was first on the team in on-base percentage (.488) as he helped the Aggies win a share of the 2012 Western Athletic Conference title.

Hipp also posted 17 doubles, one triple and one home run on the year while he led the team defensively with 148 assists. The middle-infielder was also in on the most double-plays (30) in 2012 as he finished the year making nice plays in the Aggies’ NCAA Tournament appearance. Hipp was a second team All-WAC selection last year as he hit .328 (21-of-64) in league play with four doubles and 17 RBI.

COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS PRESEASON TEAMS: CollegeSportsMadness.com recently announced its baseball preseason all-conference teams and All-American teams with New Mexico State well represented. Senior right-hand pitcher Adam Mott and senior short stop Parker Hipp were named first team members on the preseason team, while infielder Tanner Rust and outfielder Kyle Phillips earned second team honors.

Parker Hipp earned CollegeSportsMadness.com All-American honors as he was named to the fourth team.

HIPP RECORD WATCH: Senior Parker Hipp has a chance at breaking seven-different records at NM State as he has already broken one this season. Below are the categories and his career stats with a tally on how many more he needs to break the record.

Hipp broke the career-walks record, Friday, March 30 when he picked up a walk in the top of the second inning with a lead-off walk. Hipp now has 149 walks in his time at NM State, surpassing Richard Stout, who played for the Aggies from 2007-09.

STAT HIPP'S NUMBERS (as of 4/24/13) RECORD (RECORD HOLDER) COUNTDOWN TO RECORD

Hits 239 260 (Henry Apodaca, 78-81) 22

Runs 172 192 (Chris Fanning, 88-91) 21

1B 179 204 (Henry Apodaca, 78-81) 26

2B 41 51 (Chris Fanning, 88-91) 11

RBI 181 208 (Billy Becher, 03-04) 28

BB 149 142 (Richard Stout, 07-09) +7 (new record holder)

SF 16 19 (Ryan Kenning, 01-02) 4

RYAN BECK RECORD WATCH: Senior pitcher Ryan Beck has 281 strikeouts in his career and needs 42 to catch record-holder Gary Goldsmith (1990-93). He is No. 3 on the all-time list as he just passed Weldon Langley (1969-72). He surpassed former Aggie Mark Conti (1978-81) early in the season who finished his career with 238 K's. Former Aggie Jason Conner (2004-08) is now No. 6 as he tallied 235 strikeouts during his time.

CAREER STRIKE OUTS

1. Gary Goldsmith (1990-93) – 323

2. Jaime Mendes (1992-95) – 290

3. Ryan Beck (2010-Present) – 281

4. Weldon Langley (1969-72) – 263

5. Mark Conti (1978-81) – 238

Beck is also No. 4 on the all-time wins list. He has 22 career wins after posting three wins as a freshman, 10 wins as a sophomore and five wins last year.

CAREER WINS LIST

1. Jaime Mendes (1992-95) – 33 wins

2. Gary Goldsmith (1990-93) – 31 wins

3. Weldon Langley (1969-72) – 23 wins

Ryan Beck (2010-Present ) – 23 wins

5. Brian Gausman (2004-07) – 21 wins

Dustin Cameron (2003-05) – 21 wins

Mark Conti (1978-81) – 21 wins

RUST NOMINATED FOR “TD AMERITRADE FAN’S CHOICE AWARD”: Junior Tanner Rust has been nominated for the “TD Ameritrade Fan’s Choice Award,” which honors players who go beyond the stat sheet and exemplify core values such as leadership, teamwork and integrity.

To be eligible, players must be active in their communities, act as a positive role model to youth and teammates, and succeed in the classroom. The winner will be determined by fans through Facebook voting and will be honored at the 2013 TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby July 3. We are asking you to nominate a player on your team who is deserving of this award. For more infomation visit: www.Facebook.com/CollegeHomeRunDerby.

Twenty finalists will be selected to face-off in a six-week voting competition starting the May 8 to determine the winner.

LOOKING AHEAD: The Aggies stay at home facing San Jose State in a three-game series Friday, May 3, through Sunday, May 5, at Presley Askew Field. Friday and Saturday’s games start at 6:05 p.m. (MT) with the series finale beginning at 12:05 p.m. Friday’s game is broadcasted on Aggie Vision. Saturday and Sunday’s games can be heard on the radio in Las Cruces on KSNM AM 570.

The Aggies are 24-19 all-time against San Jose State, first meeting in 1992 and facing each other in a three-game series in 2012. NM State swept the series against the Spartans (3-1, 4-2, 15-2) Friday, May 18, through Sunday, May 20.